Department for Transport

British Transport Police

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government why it has been proposed that the British Transport Police control room in Birmingham should be closed down and all control rooms replaced by one control room in Camden.

baroness sugg: Responsibility for the resourcing and organisation of the British Transport Police (BTP) lies with the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) rather than with HM Government. The BTP currently operates two control rooms; one in London and one in Birmingham. Whilst this model has served the Force effectively, BTP considers that it is timely to re-examine this structure and deliver its command and control taking account of current and predicted demand. A number of Home Office forces and other organisations operate successfully with a single site control room.

Midland Main Railway Line: Trains

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an order for bi-mode trains for the Midland Main Line has been placed.

baroness sugg: The Department is currently evaluating East Midlands franchise competition bids. The successful bidder is required to undertake procurement of new bi-mode trains to meet the requirements of the Invitation to Tender.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the purpose of the revised track layout contained in the latest HS2 Phase 2 Additional Provisions SES 2 and AP2 ES Volume 2 Community Area 1: Fradley to Colton;and what is the additional cost of those changes.

baroness sugg: The proposed changes at Handsacre Junction, included within Additional Provision 2 of the Phase 2a hybrid Bill, are intended to deliver a simpler connection to the West Coast Main Line from the HS2 main line. Revising this connection will avoid significant levels of possessions of the existing railway, and so reducing disruption to the travelling public and freight users. There is no additional cost in changing the design at Handsacre and this is a lower risk solution.

Aviation: Egypt

lord stone of blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their ban on direct flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, and in particular of any resulting decline of employment in the tourism sector there, on the prevalence of terrorism in that city.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport conducts expert assessments on aviation security at overseas airports. We do not assess the impact on the tourism and airline industries of any restrictions on flights. The UK continues to work closely with Egypt, sharing aviation security expertise and we look forward to achieving the return of flights when the situation allows.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Elections

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Nigerian pro-democracy group, the Mandate Protection Vanguard that the UK Prime Minister’s congratulatory message to the Nigerian President on his electoral victory failed to address (1) voter suppression in opposition strongholds, (2) abductions and intimidation of electoral officials, (3) the destruction of ballot boxes, (4) assaults on voters by members of the security services and others, (5) organised mass thumb-printing of ballot papers, including by minors, and (6) the deaths of at least 39 people in election related violence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government's statement of 27 February recognises that Nigerians have expressed concerns about the conduct of the Nigerian elections, in particular in relation to logistics, results collation and reports of intimidation of election officials. We are encouraging the Nigerian authorities to examine all allegations of wrongdoing carefully and take action against individuals found responsible. Our statement also recognises the importance of people being able to vote safely and expresses condolences to the families and friends of those killed in election related violence. We will continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and strengthening its democracy.

Nigeria: Elections

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following reports that Nigeria’s recent presidential and national assembly elections were marred by violence and allegations of electoral fraud, what representations they willmake to the government of Nigeria about ensuring free, fair and peaceful gubernatorial elections are held on 9 May.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British High Commissioner has urged the Nigerian Government and the Nigerian Independent National Elections Commission (INEC) to address the concerns raised by Nigerians about the conduct of the Presidential elections so that the Gubernatorial elections can proceed in accordance with Nigerian electoral legislation. The Minister for Africa has reiterated these messages in a phone call to the Nigerian Foreign Minister.

Nigeria: Detainees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about the wellbeing of (1) Sambo Dasuki, (2) Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, and(3) Zeenah Ibrahim, who have been detained since 2015 despite court orders for their release.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have made representations to the Nigerian authorities to act on the court order mandating release of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah Ibraham. We have not made representations regarding Sambo Dasuki. The Rule of Law is critical in any country, as it is in Nigeria. We encourage the government to uphold the rule of law and ensure due process is followed.

Israel: Arms Trade

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 February (HL13675), whether attacks from drones on Palestinian lands are exempt under the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria; and if so, why.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We do not exempt either the end user or the proposed end use from any assessment against the Consolidated Criteria.

Israel: Riot Control Weapons

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether a chemical analysis has been conducted of the tear gas used by Israeli forces; and if so, by whom.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any assessment on this issue. We recognise the Israeli authorities' legitimate need to deploy security measures in some circumstances, but we have encouraged them to avoid excessive use of force and to act in a way which minimises tensions. When there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have urged the Israeli authorities to conduct swift and transparent investigations.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect Palestinian shepherds from being attacked by settlers protected by Israeli soldiers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians shepherds. We welcome the efforts of the Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice. Under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to take all measures in its power to protect the Palestinian population from all acts of violence.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the arrest of Sheikh Abdel-Azeem Salhab and Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat for allowing Palestinian worshipers into the Temple Mount building.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not raised the specific case in question, the UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the status quo to ensure the safety and the security of the Al Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount and all who worship there.

Hebron: Demonstrations

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following reports that a non-violent procession in the Old City of Hebron was attacked by Israeli soldiers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests. We have been clear that Palestinians have the right to peaceful protest. We will continue to make such representations to the Israeli authorities.

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of tear gas and concussion grenades by Israeli forces against unarmed civilian populations in the West Bank including premises containing young children; whether they intend to take action in response; if so, what; and if not, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any assessment on this issue. While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and use appropriate force. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations.

China: Transplant Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence presented in the reportby David Kilgour, David Matas and Ethan Gutmann Bloody Harvest / the Slaughter: An update, published on 22 June 2016; and whether they have made any representations to the government of China about that evidence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

China: Falun Gong

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to international partners in relation to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China who have been subjected to torture, mass imprisonment, and forced organ extraction.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports claiming that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

China: Prisoners

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any investigations into the allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 March (HL13947), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what support they are giving, together with other European members of the UN Human Rights Council, to the special rapporteur appointed to consider the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been in contact with the UN Special Rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. We regularly discuss with our partners in the EU and UN Human Rights Council how best we can support Ms Callamard in her assessment of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, as noted in the statement we supported at the Human Rights Council on 7 March.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 March (HL13948), whatsupport they are giving to the government of Turkey in its request for those accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to be returned to stand trial in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The ongoing Saudi judicial process is an important element in the process to establish accountability. We expect it to proceed in line with internationally recognised legal standards. The question of those accused standing trial in Turkey is a matter to be resolved by the Turkish and Saudi Arabian governments.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken, or plan to take, to ensure that the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, made on 31 October 2000, on the involvement of women in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction are being fully complied with in the Stockholm Agreement process on ending the war in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has lobbied the conflict parties for greater inclusion of women in formal peace talks and have raised the importance of doing so. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we support UN Women initiatives, such as the Yemeni Women Pact, to increase women’s participation in and leadership of official peace processes.​

Ilois: Resettlement

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the WrittenAnswerby Lord Ahmad of Wimbledonon 6 March (HL14096), what is the justification for relying on a decision not to award compensation to Chagossians who wish to return to the Chagos archipelago announced in a Written Ministerial Statement made on 16 November 2016 (HLWS257), in the light of judgment made by the International Court of Justice, published on 25 February, that the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 was illegal; andwhether they will review their decision since this new development.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government recognises that the manner of the removal of Chagossians from the British Indian Ocean Territory in the 1960s and 1970s was wrong. It has expressed its regret at such treatment, and continues to do so. Substantial compensation (around £15.5 million in current prices) has been paid to Chagossians since that time. British courts and the European Court of Human Rights have confirmed that compensation has been paid in full and final settlement. The Government currently has no plans to review this decision.On 25 February 2019 the International Court of Justice gave an Advisory Opinion that the UK does not have a legitimate claim to continued ownership of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands). This is an Advisory Opinion, not a judgment. Of course, we will look at the detail of it carefully. The defence facilities on the British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy.

British Overseas Territories: Marine Protected Areas

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Maritime Conservation Areas around UK Overseas Territories are (1) monitored, and (2) policed.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Blue Belt programme is actively working with UKOTs to ensure large scale Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have effective monitoring and enforcement regimes in place. Blue Belt funding provides targeted satellite surveillance across the maritime zones of British Indian Ocean Territory, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory, Pitcairn, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Programme is working closely with the National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC), allowing the use of the NMIC systems to undertake surveillance of all UKOTs, and has implemented a system to assess the risks of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The programme is also trialling new and emerging technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles, which potentially improve the UKOTs' ability to monitor these vast and often remote areas, in conjunction with traditional monitoring platforms where available.The Blue Belt has also funded work to ensure there are effective legislation and robust compliance frameworks in place, to enforce the MPAs. To support the OTs, the Blue Belt programme has improved the process whereby vessel monitoring data is requested from flag states, and has raised issues of non-compliance through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.

China: Prisoners

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether forced organ harvesting remains legal in China.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.The British Government is aware of the technique to plastinate human bodies exported from China for exhibition and for medical research. We have not made inquiries with the Chinese government or Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd on this matter, but continue to monitor media coverage.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

China: Falun Gong

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by Doctor Lu for Minzu Hospital in China in the report by David Mata and David KilgourBloody Harvest: the killing of Falun Gong for their organs, published on 31 January 2007, that organs were forcibly taken from healthy Falun Gong practitioners, normally in their thirties, who were unaware that their organs would be removed.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.The British Government is aware of the technique to plastinate human bodies exported from China for exhibition and for medical research. We have not made inquiries with the Chinese government or Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd on this matter, but continue to monitor media coverage.​

China: Dalian Hoffen Bio-technique

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investigations they haveconducted intoDalian HoffenBio-techniqueCo. Ltd, based in Dalian, China, who advertise plastinated corpses, including pregnant females, and in particular, into the origins and amounts of such bodies they have access to and their statement thatthey have partners on every continent, including throughout Europe; and what conclusions they have reached from any such investigations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.We consider the Kilgour, Gutmann and Matas report to be important sources of information about China’s organ transplant system. These reports rightly question the lack of transparency in China’s organ transplant system, whilst acknowledging that it is very difficult to identify the source of those organs and verify the number of organ transplants conducted in China.However, as the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.The British Government is aware of the technique to plastinate human bodies exported from China for exhibition and for medical research. We have not made inquiries with the Chinese government or Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd on this matter, but continue to monitor media coverage.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

Department of Health and Social Care

Transplant Surgery: Medical Treatments Abroad

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey intend to introducelegislation to prohibit the practice of organ tourism; if so, when; and if not, why not.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Human Tissue Act 2004, as amended, prohibits commercial dealings in human material for transplantation and makes it an offence to traffic organs.Clinical advice to United Kingdom patients is not to travel to less well-regulated countries to seek an organ transplant. It is thought that very few patients in the UK choose to do so but data on those who do is not available.The UK formally signed the Council of Europe Convention on Organ Trafficking on 25 March 2015 and the Government supports the 2008 Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism, which encourages all countries to draw up legal and professional frameworks to govern organ donation and transplantation activities.

Dead Bodies: Imports

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have held discussions with the Human Tissue Authority to address concerns about the level of proof of (1) consent, (2) identity, and (3) death, available in relation to cadavers imported from other countries for commercial display.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has had discussions with the Human Tissue Authority about concerns around bodies imported for display.

Department for Education

Languages: Education

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase foreign language teaching as part of the school curriculum and also to promote the lifelong learning of foreign languages in order to improve the UK’s skill base.

lord agnew of oulton: The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure, which includes languages, has seen the proportion of GCSE entries from pupils in state-funded schools in a modern foreign language (MFL) increase from 40% in 2010 to 46% in 2018. The reformed national curriculum now makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in key stage 2.The £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot commenced in December 2018. It is managed by the newly appointed MFL Centre for Excellence and is run through 9 school led hubs, to improve uptake and attainment in languages at key stages 3 and 4. The department has also launched a pilot project in MFL undergraduate mentoring for secondary school pupils to drive up participation in the subject, specifically targeting areas of high disadvantage to extend access to languages for all pupils.Recruiting MFL teachers is a priority for the government. The government offers generous financial incentives for languages teaching, including scholarships in MFL worth £28,000, and tax-free bursaries, typically worth up to £26,000. The government is also working in partnership with Spain’s Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to deliver Spain’s Visiting Teachers Programme to provide schools with access to a pool of qualified teachers from Spain who are able to teach MFL. In addition to this, the department has a Teacher Subject Specialism Training programme which aims to improve the subject knowledge of non-specialist teachers and returning teachers in MFL.The department is also continuing to promote the value of language qualifications to students who are choosing their GCSEs. The department recently published and promoted a guidance leaflet for parents, attached, which explains why studying a language, as part of the EBacc, broadens opportunities in both education and employment. In February, the department drew attention to the benefits of studying a language among 13 to 14 year olds through a social media campaign.   



HL14194_DfE_EBacc_Leaflet
(PDF Document, 992.91 KB)

Apprentices: Taxation

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the expiry date of apprenticeship levy funds beyond April 2019 for employers who have been unable to use thatlevy against standards (1) which have only recently been approved, (2) which are still in development, and (3) for which they cannot find a local provider.

lord agnew of oulton: Levy-paying employers have up to 24 months from the point at which funds enter their account in which to spend the funds available to them. The 24 month expiry period is designed to give employers time to develop their apprenticeship programmes whilst encouraging employers to take action to create new apprenticeship opportunities. Funds will only expire in May 2019 if an employer has spent less on apprenticeship training and assessment in the past 2 years than the amount that went into their account in May 2017. We currently have no plans to extend the expiry period.In early 2018, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education began its ‘Faster and Better’ programme to simplify aspects of the development of standards and to focus on reducing the time taken for standards to be approved. There are now over 400 apprenticeship standards available across all levels.In the Budget 2018, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £5 million of funding to support improved development of new standards and work to improve the training market. £1.5 million of funding was allocated in 2019/20 to a project focussing on how we can help employers and providers to improve and, where necessary, expand training provision.

Apprentices: Taxation

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from the National Audit Office that the number of UK apprenticeships has fallen since the introduction of an apprenticeship levy on large employers.

lord agnew of oulton: We are making apprenticeships longer and better, with more off-the-job training and suitable assessment at the end. We have asked employers to lead on the design of new standards that will give apprentices the skills that businesses really need.We are pleased with the changes we have seen to the balance of the programme, with the increase in the proportion of high quality apprenticeships since the introduction of the levy and wider apprenticeship reforms. 57.8% of people doing an apprenticeship are now starting on apprenticeship standards (in the first quarter of the 2017/18 academic year), compared to 35.8% this time last year.Over 90% of employers with the largest levy declarations have set up an apprenticeship service account, showing that they are ready and willing to invest. To further support employers, we have already extended the amount of time that employers have to spend their levy (from 18 months to 24 months). We will increase the amount of funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to other employers from 10% to 25% from April 2019.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether individual prisons in England and Wales are considered contracting authorities for the purposes of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015; andif so, whether they are required to publish payment performance information online under section 113(7) of those Regulations.

lord keen of elie: Individual prisons in England and Wales are not considered contracting authorities under the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and do not have authority to contract. They remain under the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as the contracting authority.

Department for International Trade

Arms Trade: Exports

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Fairhead on 27 February (HL13682), what sales of defence equipment that is not used by UK armed forces and valued at £400 million or more have been made in the last five years.

baroness fairhead: The Department for International Trade (DIT) does not have any record of individual sales of defence equipment valued at over £400 million where the equipment is not in service with the UK armed forces.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness: Asylum

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 5 March (HL13836), why they do not hold specific breakdowns on the number of (1) homeless asylum seekers, and (2) rough sleepers who are asylum seekers and refugees; whether the number of households accepted as statutorily homeless and granted refugee status in England equates with the number of individuals concerned; and if not, how many individual refugees were homeless in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, and (e) 2017.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Asylum seekers are not eligible for homelessness assistance. We record the number of ineligible applicants, but do not break this down by reason for ineligibility. The Home Office provides asylum seekers with accommodation and support to meet their essential living needs if they would otherwise be destitute.Rough sleeping statistics are collected through a single night snapshot. The purpose is to estimate the number of people sleeping rough across local authorities in England on a single night, and assess change over time. Since 2016, where possible, we have collected the demographics of people found or thought to be sleeping rough via the snapshot, to give an indication of the representation of particular groups among people who sleep rough. This includes gender, age and nationality. However, it can be difficult to collect even this basic demographic information from people sleeping rough on a single night, and often people are not willing to share this information, so it is regularly recorded as unknown.The number of households that have refugee status does not equate to the number of individuals. A household can be made up of one or more individuals. The department only holds this information at household level.

Ministry of Defence

Torpedoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Mk54 torpedo is an insensitive munition.

earl howe: The Insensitive Munition (IM) signature of the Mark 54 torpedo is subject to International Trade in Arms Regulations restrictions. However, the UK has all necessary plans in place to reduce and manage the Mark 54's exposure to IM threats.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft: Torpedoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Mk54 Otto Fuel II fuelled torpedoes are part of the P8-A Poseidon contract.

earl howe: I am withholding details of the number of Mark 54 torpedoes to be purchased for the P-8A Poseidon as details would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

Biocidal Products: EU Law

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to depart from the framework of the Biocidal Products Regulation (EU) No 529/2012 after the UK's exit from the EU.

baroness buscombe: The Government does not intend to depart from the framework of the Biocidal Products Regulation 528/2012 (BPR) after the UK’s departure from the EU. Using powers in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 the BPR will be retained in UK law and amended by a statutory instrument solely to correct deficiencies arising from EU exit and to enable the Regulation to function correctly in a UK context post-exit.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Equine Flu: Disease Control

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what systems are in place to ensure that disinfectant products sold for use in stables and farms are proved to kill the equine influenza virus.

lord gardiner of kimble: Products approved for use under ‘General Orders’ on the Defra Approved Disinfectant list are likely to be effective if used at the recommended General Orders dilution rates. This list is published on GOV.UK at http://disinfectants.defra.gov.uk/DisinfectantsExternal/Default.aspx?Module=ApprovalsList_SI. Equine influenza is not a notifiable disease in the UK and there is therefore no published statutory list of disinfectants approved specifically for equine influenza disease control. Regulations applying to consumer products mean that disinfectant manufacturers need to be able to substantiate claims made about the effectiveness of their products, including those specified for equine influenza. Equine influenza viruses are not very persistent in the environment and these viruses are readily inactivated by disinfectants. The same general advice for all disinfectants also applies to those used in relation to equine influenza. To ensure disinfectants are at their most effective, they must be diluted with fresh clean water and the area thoroughly cleaned and as necessary degreased prior to the application of the disinfectant. Disinfectant in footbaths/foot dips should be regularly replaced and this is particularly important during wet weather when the active ingredient in foot dips can get diluted by rainwater, or if it gets contaminated with soil or organic matter. Equipment and footwear should ideally be washed with clean water to remove gross contamination before disinfectant is applied, as the active ingredient of most products is inactivated by organic material. Boots and footwear should be scrubbed with a brush, with particular attention paid to the treads on the soles of footwear and boots.

Flood Control: Somerset

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, since the floods on the Somerset Levels in 2014, what have been the most effective measures taken to reduce such risks; and what remains to be done in the future.

lord gardiner of kimble: Since 2014 approximately £60 million has been invested in the Somerset Levels and Moors to reduce the impact of flooding. This includes National Government Flood Defence Grant in Aid, Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership Funding and precept raised by the Somerset Rivers Authority. Numerous capital schemes have been delivered to better protect communities in Somerset as part of the 25 year flood action plan.Examples of measures taken include:Dredging over 8.75km of the Rivers Parrett and Tone in combination with infrastructure improvements at several sites to accommodate significant additional temporary pumps. These two measures better protect 130 of the 142 houses flooded in 2013/14.Construction of a flood defence wall at Westonzoyland village and road raising at Aller village which better protect 15 houses.An extensive programme of repairs at over 50 locations to river banks, spillways and pumping stations. This returns assets to their pre-2013/14 flood design condition.Major improvements on the A372 to allow water under the road to reduce the likelihood of road flooding to a major route, and allow better evacuation of flood waters. The Environment Agency has also developed an operational plan of when and how it will bring in temporary pumps to a number of strategic locations during extreme events. Significant future works which are due to be delivered include:The construction of the Bridgwater tidal barrier which will better protect 12,000 homes.Improvements/enhancement of the River Parrett flood relief channel. This will increase channel conveyance through the relief channel, taking more flood water away from the communities flooded in 2014.Maintenance dredging to maintain the conveyance and channel profile of the 8.75km dredged section of the Rivers Parrett and Tone.

Air Pollution

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to setting legally binding targets to meet WHO-recommended limit values for particulate matter across the UK, and if consideration has been given, when the targetswill be implemented.

lord gardiner of kimble: In the recently published Clean Air Strategy we committed to set a new, ambitious, long term target for PM2.5 as well as to publish evidence early in 2019 to examine what action would be needed to meet the World Health Organization’s annual mean guideline limit of 10 µg/m3. That work is ongoing and will be published in due course.

Home Office

Terrorism: Criminal Investigation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 9(28)(e) to "enhance cooperation between the relevant investigative agencies, including police-to-police and with the private sector, especially with information and communications technologies service providers, in gathering digital data and evidence in cases relating to terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters".

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 9(28)(f) to "request and gather electronic evidence from the relevant actors and across borders and consider making use of the Practical Guide for Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders developed by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Association of Prosecutors".

baroness williams of trafford: The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2396 and the associated Madrid Guiding Principles, and contributed to the drafting of both. We encourage Member States to fully implement UNSCR 2396.We work with a number of multilateral bodies such as UN, Global Counter Terrorism Forum, and the Global Coalition against Daesh amongst others.The Government published its updated counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, in June 2018. As the Home Secretary set out, it is through working together, with the police, security and intelligence agencies, the private and public sectors, civil society, international partners, and the public, that we will reduce the risk of terrorism and ensure that terrorists cannot and will not change our way of lifeA joint Home Office and DCMS White Paper will be published shortly, setting out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures detailing how we will tackle online harms and set clear responsibilities for technology companies to keep UK citizens safe. The White Paper will set out how we expect companies to provide support to law enforcement where relevant.

Terrorism: Criminal Investigation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recommendations in the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principle 10(29)(c) to "Conduct systematic financial investigations in all terrorism cases".

baroness williams of trafford: The Government welcomes the Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles. In 2018 the UK’s counter-terrorist financing regime received the highest possible rating in a review by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). As set out in FATF’s report on the review, I can confirm that the police routinely and systematically conduct a financial investigation when investigating terrorism cases.

Terrorism

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) Guiding Principle 11(30)(a), (2) Guiding Principle 11(30)(b), (3) Guiding Principle 11(30)(c), (4) Guiding Principle 11(30)(f), and (5) Guiding Principle 11(30)(j), as set out in the 2018 Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2396 and the associated Madrid Guiding Principles, and contributed to the drafting of both. We encourage Member States to fully implement UNSCR 2396.We work with a number of multilateral bodies such as UN, Global Counter Terrorism Forum, and the Global Coalition against Daesh amongst others.The Government published its updated counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, in July 2018. As the Home Secretary set out, it is through working together, with the police, security and intelligence agencies, the private and public sectors, civil society, international partners, and the public, that we will reduce the risk of terrorism and ensure that terrorists cannot and will not change our way of life.

Terrorism

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Guiding Principle 9(28)(c) as set out in the 2018 Addendum to the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2396 and the associated Madrid Guiding Principles, and contributed to the drafting of both. We encourage Member States to fully implement UNSCR 2396.We work with a number of multilateral bodies such as UN, Global Counter Terrorism Forum, and the Global Coalition against Daesh amongst others.The Government published its updated counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, in July 2018. As the Home Secretary set out, it is through working together, with the police, security and intelligence agencies, the private and public sectors, civil society, international partners, and the public, that we will reduce the risk of terrorism and ensure that terrorists cannot and will not change our way of life

Knives: Crime

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rising levels of knife crime and of the Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioner's claim that reductions in police numbers and cuts to youth services have created "a toxic mix".

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, published in April 2018, includes our analysis of the factors driving increases in serious violence. This highlighted a range of possible factors and that a major factor was changes in the drugs market.The Government is also clear that prevention and early intervention, alongside tough enforcement, are critical to achieving sustainable reductions in knife crime and serious violence.This is why the Government is providing the police with new powers through the Offensive Weapons Bill, promoting a major media campaign #knife free, we are investing £22 million into the prevention of serious violence through the Early Intervention Youth Fund, in addition to the £200 million Youth Endowment Fund which will provide support over the next 10 years for those young people most at risk of serious violence. We will also be shortly consulting on a new statutory duty to underpin the multi-agency approach to tackling violence and we have an established an independent review of drug misuse.

Asylum: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people claimed asylum in the last 12 months on the grounds of their (1) sexual orientation, and (2) gender identity; and of those, how many cases were (a) granted, (b) refused, (c) granted on appeal, and (d) refused on appeal.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office remains committed to publishing information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientation.On 29 November 2018, the Home Office published experimental statistics on Asylum claims made on the basis of sexual orientation, covering the period 2015 to 2017.These experimental statistics provide data on asylum claims from 2015-2017, by year of application, initial decision, appeal receipt, or appeal decisionThe experimental statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018-data-tablesSOC_00: Applications, initial decisions, and appeals for main applicants, for whom sexual orientation formed a basis of their claim 201520162017Applications1,768  2,212  1,936 Initial decisions1,584  1,845  1,887 Of which:Grants620  497  423 Refusals964  1,348  1,464 Appeal lodged857  1,103  1,306 Appeals determined515  916  1,477 Of which:Allowed167  341  487 Dismissed324  553  951 These are the latest data available, and the next planned update to these statistics is in August 2019.Data published in this release relate to the number of asylum claims made where sexual orientation formed part of the basis of the claim. The data does not represent the number of asylum claimants who define themselves as LGB. Having an identifier that an asylum case is based on sexual orientation does not indicate that a claimant has any particular sexuality or that sexual orientation is the reason for any grant or refusal of asylum. It also does not signify whether that aspect of the claim has been accepted. Sexual orientation as a basis of claim could be due to imputed assertions or association rather than a defining characteristic of the claimant.The Home Office do not record data on asylum claims based on gender identity or expression. The option to record this data remains under review. Historically the number of gender identity-based asylum claims has been low.The Home Office is developing dedicated policy guidance for caseworkers considering gender identity and expression (including intersex) issues raised as the basis of an asylum claim.

Crimes of Violence

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat the rise in (1) youth gang-related violence, and (2) knife crime.

baroness williams of trafford: In April 2018 the Government published the Serious Violence Strategy which sets out a comprehensive set of 61 commitments and actions we are taking to tackle violent crime. The strategy stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes of serious violence and provide young people with the skills and resilience to lead productive lives free from violence.Significant progress has been made in delivering our key commitments including launching a £22m Early Intervention Youth Fund which is already supporting 29 projects in England and Wales, providing £3.6m for a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to tackle violent and exploitative criminal activity associated with county lines and providing support for a new national police capability to tackle gang related activity on social media. To tackle knife crime, we are providing £1.5 million in 2018/19 through an anti-knife crime Community Fund to support 68 projects and a national knife crime media campaign - #knife free - to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime. We have also introduced the Offensive Weapons Bill to strengthen legislation on firearms, knives and corrosive substances.In addition, on 2 October 2018 the Home Secretary announced further important measures to address violent crime including a consultation on new legal duty to support a multi-agency approach to preventing and tackling serious violence, a new £200 million youth endowment fund, and an Independent Review of Drug Misuse.

Cannabis: Licensing

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 4 March (HL13809), whether any single individual or commercial entity has been granted more than one high THC cannabis cultivation licence for research since 2016; and if so, how many licences were granted to a single individual or commercial entity.

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 4 March (HL13809), whether any single individual or commercial entity was granted more than one high THC cannabis cultivation licence for the extraction of cannabinoids since 2016; and if so, how many licences were granted to a single individual or commercial entity.

baroness williams of trafford: Controlled Drug licences may be granted to named entities at individual premises. Licences to cultivate cannabis are not issued to individuals for personal cultivation. Licensed companies may have been contracted to cultivate cannabis at a specific site on behalf of another company.To date, a total of 9 licences have been issued for high THC cannabis cultivation for research since 2016, each valid for a period of one year and covering one growing site only. These 9 licences were issued to 5 companies.To date, a total of 30 licences have been issued for high THC cannabis cultivation for the extraction of cannabinoids since 2016, each valid for a period of one year and covering one growing site only. These 30 licences were issued to 8 companies.

Immigration: Windrush Generation

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the report of (1) the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee The Windrush Generation (HC 990), published on 3 July 2018 and (2) the Joint Committee on Human Rights Windrush Generation Detention (HL Paper 160), published on 29 June 2018; and what steps they plan to take as a result of the recommendations of those reports.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government response to the (1) the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee The Windrush Generation (HC 990), published on 3 July 2018 is published at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmhaff/1545/1545.pdf and (2) the Joint Committee on Human Rights Windrush Generation Detention (HL Paper 160), published on 29 June 2018 is at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201719/jtselect/jtrights/1633/1633.pdf. Furthermore, we will be responding to the Public Accounts Committee report of 6 March 2019 in due course.The Government continues to provide regular updates to the Home Affairs Select Committee on actions taken in response to the issues faced by the Windrush Generation. The Home Secretary has said that the details of the Windrush Compensation Scheme will be published soon, and we look forward to receiving and responding to the report of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review being led by Wendy Williams.

Immigration

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the "hostile environment" policies on vulnerable members of society; and what plans they have to address any systemic and cultural problems in how immigration matters are dealt with by the Home Office that have been identified.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to a fair and humane immigration policy which welcomes and celebrates people here legally, and which distinguishes effectively between those with lawful status and those here illegally.In common with other comparable countries, the UK has in place a framework of laws, policies and administrative arrangements, ensuring access to work benefits and services is permitted for those with the right access to them. The term “hostile environment” is not used to describe these policies and does not reflect our values. Key measures were the subject of public consultations and/or impact assessments before they were introduced. These policies already incorporate important safeguards, including the ability to exercise discretion where there are genuine barriers to persons leaving the UK or there are exceptional compassionate factors.We are considering further options to evaluate the impact of controls on work, benefits and services.My Rt hon Friend, the Home Secretary has already announced that he will review the structures and processes of the immigration system to ensure that we can deliver a future system in a way that is fair and humane. We are considering the form and timing of the review, but it will need to build on the lessons learnt from the Lessons Learned review, which is be-ing led by Wendy Williams and is seeking to establish how members of the Windrush generation became entangled with immigration measures designed to tackle illegal immigration.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Location

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to encourage the dispersal of public sector jobs from London to other regions in the UK; and if so, how this is being implemented by the British Transport Police.

lord young of cookham: The Government’s commitment to locate more Civil Service roles out of London and into the regions and nations of the United Kingdom was contained in the 2017 Manifesto, affirmed in the Industrial Strategy White Paper and most recently in the Government Estate Strategy, published in July 2018.To deliver on this commitment, the Cabinet Office is co-ordinating activity under the Places for Growth programme. This programme will take a place-based approach to relocating roles that ensures we have the skills and capacity in the right places to enable organisations and cities to flourishNo new public bodies may be created with a base in London and the South East of England and the location of all new public bodies must be agreed in collaboration with the Places for Growth Programme.  British Transport Police currently do not have a policy about dispersing jobs from London to other regions of the UK. However, British Transport Police continuously review where its resources should be located in light of its national responsibility.

European Parliament: Elections

lord hannay of chiswick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 27 February (HL Deb, col 242) that the legislation no longer exists on the UK statute book to hold European Parliament elections, what is the statutory basis for this.

lord young of cookham: Once the UK leaves the European Union, the legislation that provides for the holding of European Parliamentary elections will no longer be necessary.The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“the 2018 Act”) repeals the underlying pieces of legislation providing for the holding of European Parliamentary elections. The repeal of these provisions will come into effect on such a day as is set out in commencement Regulations. The European Parliamentary Elections Etc. (Repeal, Revocation, Amendment and Saving Provisions) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 were made on 3rd December 2018 under powers in the 2018 Act. These Regulations make further provision as a result of the UK no longer participating in European Parliamentary elections, and will come into force on the day that the UK leaves the European Union.

Treasury

PAYE

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employers use the HMRC Basic PAYE tool for their payroll data calculations.

lord bates: The Basic PAYE Tool (BPT) is a downloadable tool which HMRC has made available, at no cost to the customer, to enable small employers to run their payrolls in compliance with the PAYE legislation. Information on the number of employers who use the BPT is not readily accessible and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Occupational Pensions: Tax Allowances

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employers have been asked to repay overpaid tax relief as a result of employers submitting pension contributions which incorrectly based their payments on the wrong assumption about whether the pension scheme used Relief at Source or Net Pay for administering tax relief.

lord bates: Errors made by employers and pension providers have resulted in individuals receiving either no tax relief on their pension contributions, or receiving tax relief twice. In the Pension schemes newsletter 105 (November 2018), HMRC invited pension schemes who think that any of their members have been given the wrong amount of tax relief to email HMRC. HMRC would then work with them to help correct their tax position. HMRC is working with pension schemes and can’t give more detail of the dealing of these cases as this could prejudice future compliance activity.

Public Expenditure

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what rules they apply to any applications from the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly to transfer monies for capital expenditure to revenue expenditure.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any sums of money have been transferred from capital accounts to revenue accounts for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly for the last three years for which figures are available; and, if so, what sums.

lord bates: Any transfers from capital to resource budgets must be approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Transfers from the Devolved Administrations’ capital to resource budgets for the past three years are set out in the table below. £million2016-172017-182018-19Scottish Government0.00.00.0Welsh Government0.00.024.8Northern Ireland Administration0.033.5138.7

Borrowing

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any borrowing levels have been agreed for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly for the last three years for which figures are available; and if so, what those levels are.

lord bates: The aggregate and annual limits for capital borrowing for the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government are set out in Scottish and Welsh Fiscal Framework documents. The Scottish Government may currently borrow up to £3 billion in aggregate and up to £450 million in any year. The Welsh Government may currently borrow up to £1 billion in aggregate and up to £150 million in any year. The Scottish Government have had capital borrowing powers since 2015-16 and have only used these powers in 2017-18. The Welsh Government have had capital borrowing powers since 2017-18 and have yet to use these powers. Borrowing by the Northern Ireland Administration is set out in the Northern Ireland Loans Act 1975 as amended by Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006. This allows for total capital borrowing of £3 billion. The annual limit for borrowing is set by the Treasury and for 2018-19 is £250 million. The amounts borrowed in the years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 are set out in the table below.  £million2016-172017-182018-19*Scottish Government04500Welsh Governmentn/a00Northern Ireland Administration2143467*The totals for 2018-19 reflect the borrowing recorded to date.

Financial Markets

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from the Bank of England and European Central Bank that there may be significant market volatility in the event of a disorderly Brexit.

lord bates: Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. An Implementation Period is the most effective approach to ensuring a smooth and orderly exit from the EU.The Government has taken action to minimise disruption for UK households and businesses regardless of the outcome, including by introducing temporary regimes for EEA firms operating in the UK.As the FPC set out in its latest Financial Policy Summary, the core of the UK’s financial system is resilient to, and prepared for, the wide range of risks it could face, including a disorderly Brexit. And while the FPC has noted that significant market volatility is to be expected in a disorderly Brexit, it has also noted that markets have proved able to function effectively through volatile periods. Major UK banks also are also able to withstand severe market disruption and, as a further prudent precaution, the Bank of England has operations in place to lend in all major currencies.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Public Libraries: Closures

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many libraries have closed in England since 2010.

lord ashton of hyde: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England, but does not hold complete figures on the number of public libraries closed since 2010.